HOKA Mach 5

Name: HOKA Mach 5
Brand: HOKA
Rating: 4.7 (24 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8 oz · 5mm drop · 30/25mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Mach 6 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Mach 5 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 67 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the Mach product line.

Exceptional

98/100

Overall

Exceptional 98

Comfort

Exceptional 98

Appearance

Exceptional 97

Value

Exceptional 97

Cushioning

Excellent 94

Durability

Below average 62

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

98/100

Very high 98

What runners say

“Light but not minimal, cushion balanced, wide toebox, snug midfoot/heel”

5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

“Roomy toebox, amazing lockdown, super comfortable and breathable upper”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 14

“Upper fits like a glove, very light, rockered geometry guides effortlessly”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Amazing on gravel roads, and feet didn't feel all the rocks like with other shoes”

5/5 Full review 27 mpw came from the HOKA Speedgoat 5

“Perfect utility shoe for all training runs—slow to fast, all distances”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Incredibly versatile for long runs, tempo, track work—reliable shoe”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Cushion is soft but still feels very springy and responsive”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Gentle rocker sole bouncy enough for racing 5K to marathon”

5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

“Roomy toe-box but still secure in midfoot and heel”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Durability concern: soft midsole top layer, no rubber outsole”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3

Prefer this shoe over another

62% 21/34

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers use it for easy days, tempo work and long runs alike.
It weighs 8 oz, and reviewers still call the cushioning soft and springy.
Reviewers praise the rocker and the roomy toebox with a secure midfoot.

Cons

The outsole is foam with no rubber, and six reviewers report it wearing down quickly.
One reviewer finds the thin insole creases and replaces it.

Mach 5 rates 98. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Mach

Each dot is one version of the Mach, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

85 2018 99 2019 87 2020 95 2021 98 2022 98 2024 91 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Mach 7

2026 · 0 reviews

91 Very good

55 Confidence
Mach 6

2024 · 28 reviews

98 Exceptional

96 Confidence
Mach 5 This shoe

2022 · 67 reviews

98 Exceptional

98 Confidence
Mach 4

2021 · 7 reviews

95 Excellent

86 Confidence
Mach 3

2020 · 1 review

87 Good

58 Confidence
Mach 2

2019 · 9 reviews

99 Exceptional

94 Confidence
Mach v1

2018 · 6 reviews

85 Good

80 Confidence

Reader Ratings

67 ratings

5/5 43

4/5 22

3/5 2

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8 oz
Release: 2022 Q2
MSRP: $140
Stack Height: 30mm heel - 25mm toe
Drop Height: 5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Awesome shoe, Hoka Mach 5

5/5

Overall

This shoe is awesome, it is very light for the amount that you get in the shoe. A pretty roomy toebox with an amazing lockdown with the laces and a super comfortable and breathable upper.

The ride and energy is outstanding, it has two layers of midsole, the top layer of Profly+ is super bouncy and soft, while the stiffer lower part of the midsole provides a quick snapback and speedy feel to the shoe. I raced it in 5k and 10k and even without a carbon plate I felt propeled and got new PBs more often than not.

The outsole though was carved out of the bottom layer of midsole with was grippy but did erode quite quickly.

It is great value for money as it was only 150 Euros where I live.

I HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH ANY RUNNING SHOE COMPANIES.

Elliot. M · Jul 2, 2023

20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 14

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 2/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

Daily workhorse + transition from super shoe use

4/5

Overall

The Mach has been my go-to daily trainer. I’ve done long runs, tempo and hill workouts, easy runs, and some steady efforts too.

I greatly enjoy the upper which fits my foot like a glove. It disappears on my foot immediately which when combined with the low weight of the shoe, you end up with a super smooth, ‘set it and forget it’ ride.

My only concern is durability due to the softer top layer of the midsole and complete lack of rubber outsole. However, I’ve only got around 60~ miles in it so it is hard to tell.

C · Jul 2, 2023

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Hoka Mach 5: Best do-it-all trainer

5/5

Overall

I am on my 4th pair of Mach 5’s, after running in the Mach 4’s previously. The Mach 5 is a perfect utility shoe for me. I use it for all of my training runs, slow, short, long, fast - no matter the distance or tempo, the Mach 5 exceeds. The upper fits like a glove, and it feels very light on foot, with a rockered geometry that guides you effortlessly to put one foot in front of the other. While some complain about the outsole durability, I have personally not had this problem, with my shoes lasting ~500 miles/pair on average. I couldn’t recommend them more!

Sean · Jun 24, 2023

50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Really good daily trainer - it's so good, I have raced in it

5/5

Overall

The bright high school kid at the local running shop dragged out several of the usual suspects for me. I was searching for a replacement for one of the 2 road trainers in my rotation. They were all adequate but not ideal, and I was struggling to pick the winner when she suggested an alternative that she used as her daily trainer, the Hoka Mach 5. She explained she prefers it as an all-around asset in her limited closet of shoes. I instantly liked the shoe's name for its Speed Racer reference that she probably wouldn't get and agreed to give it a try. I've worn several different models of Hoka, some like the Speedgoat that I really liked and others like the Bondi that didn't work so well. All have plenty of cushion but sometimes their narrow toe box or bulky if light outsoles made them an adequate but not great fit. The Mach on the other is solidly in my Goldilocks zone for a daily trainer: light but not too minimal, enough but not too much cushion, wide enough not to impinge on my toes, snug enough through the midfoot and heel, and the gentle rocker sole make them bouncy enough for me for racing from 5K up to the marathon. Bonus! They aren't as fast as a plated race shoe, but for my foot they might work better unless it's an 'A' race.

Dan Shaw · Jun 19, 2023

10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Great for faster mileage

5/5

Overall

Extremely light, fast turnover, cushion isn't top class but value is there. Great show.

zpack · Jun 19, 2023

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 26

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Alternatives

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Analyses

HOKA Mach 5

Exceptional